Some Megachurches Closing for Christmas

By RACHEL ZOLL AP Religion Writer

((What is this; I thought Fox, O'Riley, Hannity & all the other shrills were talking about how it was those like us trying to kill Xmas & now these churchs are not even going to open on Xmas Day)). ((((((((((Shame - Shame.))))))))

By the way, "Happy Holidays to all of my DU Friends"

December 06,2005 | -- This Christmas, no prayers will be said in several megachurches around the country. Even though the holiday falls this year on a Sunday, when churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors are canceling services, anticipating low attendance on what they call a family day.

Critics within the evangelical community, more accustomed to doing battle with department stores and public schools over keeping religion in Christmas, are stunned by the shutdown.

It is almost unheard of for a Christian church to cancel services on a Sunday, and opponents of the closures are accusing these congregations of bowing to secular culture.

"This is a consumer mentality at work: `Let's not impose the church on people. Let's not make church in any way inconvenient,'" said David Wells, professor of history and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Hamilton, Mass. "I think what this does is feed into the individualism that is found throughout American culture, where everyone does their own thing."

http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8EB0HRG2.html

So true. :crazy:

:wtf:

and more about having a public forum for thumpers to appear sanctimonious in front of each other? Fundies have an insatiable need, not simply to practice their religion, but to be seen by everyone else practicing their religion. And thus you have the mindset whereby the courts tell a fundie group that they can't use to PA system to lead the stadium in prayer before a high school football game and they go into convulsions because "the government won't let them pray." Sure, they could pray quietly, or to themselves, but no one else would be able to see.

Jesus would be pissed and throw their tables out in the streets if He were here.

that these bigots think that they are the best Christians to walk the earth since the apostles were martyred. (Except of course for the one who wasn't, and I forget which one that was....)

But, yes, in regards to your post: these people are the worst kind of Christians - they aren't.

They think that all it takes to get into Heaven is to pretend to accept Christ as your savior. Good works never figure into it for them, neither does helping the poor or working for world peace.

When I was in High School, I went through a brief period as a 'reborn' xian, primarilly due to my involvement with the Fellowship of Xian Athletes.

What I found at the leadership level caused to leave that path and turn to spirituality rather than organized religion. I've never looked back.

Fundie Xians, by and large, are a hypocritical, smugly passive/agressive lot, who think as long as they say 'praise jeebus' that they've got a front row seat in the bus to Heaven's Gate. Yet worse, at the leadership level it's all about the money. I think that's patently obvious, although they would deny it outright.

died of 'natural causes'.

that good works don't figure into it, that accepting Christ is the one and only determinant of salvation. I'm sure that, in practice, many individual Christians believe that good works are very important, given the example of their savior, but that's more of a personal thing, not dogma.

(by whom?) I think only one died a natural death -- according to tradition, at least.

who have taken the "Christ" out of Christmas.

And, this ex-Catholic is appalled they have no Sunday services... WTF?????????????????

Moon believes that he is the true messiah and that Jesus failed because he didn't marry and other reasons. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ, not Moon.

The leaders of these vary churches are leading the charge to protect Christmas for being killed by the "Holidays."

Christ was born over 2000 year ago and the celebration of his birth is larger than any retail chain or other group. The celebration of his birth will continue beyond our time.
That leads me to this question... If the Christians, who are running the save Christmas campaign.
Why are they so worried about Christmas?


For these mega churches to close for Christmas, which happens to fall on Sunday this year is hypocritical to say the least.

it's perfectly rational for these mega churches to close.

Will these megachurches be closed on New Year's Day, also, because the minister's too hung over to preach?

These churches are about making money and from the sounds of it, not enough people would show up so that the donations would even pay for bumping the church thermostat up a few notches for the services.

Priorities, people! Priorities!

TlalocW

What a bunch of hypocrites.

Maybe it's time the "base" start questioning their leaders.

Can't blame this one on the liberals.

maybe they should lose their tax free status.

Pauline christians never followed Jesus anyway. So why am I not surprised?

:popcorn: :evilgrin:

...I can't buy last-last-minute gifts at the Christian bookstore adjoining the megachurch down at the local GodMall?

what a f**ked up world, that is also a quote from God.